The Life That Was
by Nevelyna
Summary: Harry Potter thought that he couldn't find anyone that annoyed him as much as Draco Malfoy did. Well, Aurelia Ludvaros certainly isn't as annoying as he is she's worse. Hailing from Transylvania, her temper runs high and is only matched by Harry's.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Ludvaros Girl

Harry James Potter was in agony.

He was at Number Four Privett Drive and he had been for the entire summer. His birthday - his sixteenth birthday - was in three days and he had still heard no word from anyone. Not even Ron and Hermione. Of course, he knew why. He understood. In fact - he didn't _want_ to talk to any of them. He was a danger to them - to all of them. What would they think of him when he finally told them about the prophecy - if he ever did? How would they feel about being friends with a guy who either had to die or become a murderer? The words kept running through his head, "Neither can live while the other survives." Every day, every hour, every minute.

Of course, that was only when the fact the Sirius Black, his Godfather, his father's best friend, was dead and that Harry might as well have pushed him through the veil himself wasn't weighing on his mind.

His uncle was sharp with him, screaming at him for even the smallest thing, unless he was completely ignoring him or glaring at him silently. His cousin, Dudley, was so afraid of him that whenever he was in the room he never moved, he never even ate. (And he was loosing a few pounds because of it) Only his Aunt Petunia was civil to him. Or, at least, as civil as she always was. She may have become a bit less tolerant of him, but not enough to really pay any notice to. If she had any biting comments to say to him, she kept them to herself.

But even as uncomfortable and unpleasant as his Aunt and Uncle's house was, he would rather be there than at Grimmauld Place. In fact, he'd rather be anywhere than his Godfather's house.

But, even though he was out of communication with the wizarding world, didn't mean that he didn't know what was going on. He was having the Daily Prophet delivered to him every day. Cornelius Fudge was no longer Minister of Magic and the new Minister - Harry didn't remember who he was - was not interested in the least in keeping anything about Voldemort from the public eye. Everyone now knew that he was back and Harry knew that soon - much too soon for his liking - he would be called upon to fulfill the Prophecy. But, until then, Voldemort was by no means lying low.

There had been at least three attacks a day once he had really gotten started. And it wasn't just in Britain, either. It hadn't spread to America quite yet as the whole Atlantic Ocean thing was a bit hard to cross while apparating. But the English Channel obviously wasn't that hard to cross, nor were the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Adriatic Sea, as the Daily Prophet was riddled with stories of Death Eater attacks in countries over there. Most were the larger ones, the ones with more influence like France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, and even Romania. But there were also some attacks in smaller countries like the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Turkey, and Belarus.

But, oddly enough, most of the non-England attacks were coming from a little place in Romania. Not really big enough to pay any close attention to it. Yet everyone knew of it and its strange inhabitants. Even Muggles told stories and had books about it. A small, mountain range just off the Carpathians, near Romania's capital of Bucharest -

The Transylvanian Alps. Known for its infamous vampires and vampire hunters. The tales coming from there were particularly cruel and capricious. Yet there was always a couple over there that, in almost every article, would be on the scene to give small, courteous, but very informative statements.

Their name was Ludvaros. Sorina and Vladimir Ludvaros. Their picture had been in the paper next to the first article. And Harry had to admit that they did look forbidding. They were a handsome couple.

Sorina had long, straight black hair and - as far as Harry had been able to tell from the black and white photograph - black eyes.

Vladimir's hair in the picture had been a lot shorter than his wife's, but still long. It had also been a bit lighter - not by much though - and Harry guessed that it was brown. It had been slicked back but it curled behind his ears. His eyes had been lighter than his wife's as well so Harry guessed that they, too, were brown.

They had both been rather pale with dark facial features and they had not worn cloaks and robes, but rather breeches and tunics. They had looked very dangerous and Harry was sure that they struck fear into the hearts of the Death Eaters that the met up with.

The Transylvanian Aurors needed to ask no permission to use a killing curse and would do so in the blink of an eye. And there were no qualms about using torture to get the information they wanted either.

In fact, there were rumors - for no concrete stories ever came from Transylvania save from Transylvanian lips - that children were punished with small doses of the Cruciatus Curse instead of spankings.

Harry was afraid of them as well, even though they were on 'his' side.

The article had also made a vague reference to a daughter of theirs, but the couple had no comment on her and would now allow any pictures of her to be taken. But it had said that the young Ludvaros girl had been at the scene and had, in fact, been allowed to help. The Transylvanians had no laws against under aged wizardry, probably due to the large vampire threat. Transylvanian children even learned to apparate at thirteen. Harry couldn't help but be a little envious of the girl that he didn't even know. No one was afraid for her safety so much that they wouldn't let her help.

Of course _she_ didn't have the weight of both the Wizarding and the Muggle worlds on her shoulders.

_She_ didn't have an evil dark lord trying to get into her head.

_She_ hadn't been the cause of the death of a loved one.

The only blood _she_ had on her hands was that of Death Eaters - and probably vampires - who _deserved_ to die.

That was the only article any mention of the girl had been in - directly anyway. There had been vague references to a talented teenage girl taking charge in some of the attacks that the Ludvaros' had not been involved with. But she had never given any direct comments and her name had never been given. Harry assumed that it was a precautionary measure, but he thought that he _would_ like to know her name just so he wouldn't have to think of her as 'The Ludvaros Girl'.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Agonizing Surroundings

Three days before Harry's birthday, he was cleaning the downstairs loo when the doorbell rang.

He didn't think very much of it at the time and simply continued scrubbing the sink. He heard faintly the light, quick footsteps of his Aunt hurrying to the door from the living room where she and his uncle and cousin were watching the television. A while later, he heard her footsteps again, after the door had been closed rather sharply, coming towards him. The bathroom doorway was suddenly filled with her thin, bony body, and Harry could see a sneer on her horse-like face. He stopped scrubbing and looked at her expectantly.

"Pack your things." She spat. "And take them to Mrs. Figg's house. Some of your people are there waiting for you." She then left as quickly as she had come and Harry sighed. He knew where he was headed; he just wasn't ready to go there just yet.

He dropped the sponge he was using under the sink and then made his way upstairs as slowly as he could, not caring who he was making wait. When he reached his bedroom, he began placing his things in his trunk very carefully and slowly, taking time to fold all of his clothes neatly.

It took him nearly forty-five minutes to get everything in but he still didn't care. He didn't want to go, he wanted to stay. Even if it meant having to clean the entire house from top to bottom ten more times.

He picked up Hedwig in her cage and stuffed his wand in his wand in his back pocket, taking one last sweeping look about the room. Moody would probably reprimand him for having a sincere wish to blow his own buttocks off, but it didn't matter. He shook his head and picked up the handle of his trunk. Then he started down the stairs and paused at the front door.

The sounds of the TV and Dudley's grunting laughter drifted towards him on the sterile air of the spotless house and he felt lonelier in that moment than he had ever felt before. How he longed for his own family - how he longed for someone to simply love him and comfort him. But he would never get it here. And now, with Sirius dead, he would never get it again.

He sighed again and left the house, shutting the door softly behind him. He walked down the street, his head down, and he felt someone watching him. He figured it was one of the Order so he thought nothing of it. When he got to Mrs. Figg's house, he noticed that all the curtains and shades were drawn and knocked on the door. It was opened after a few moments very slightly and Harry could just make out Mad Eye Moody's mad eye before it opened all the way and he was pulled inside before he could say a word.

The door was shut sharply behind him and he found that he was now in the presence of many of the elite aurors of the Order. Among them were Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Harry!" Tonks said excitedly, taking Hedwig's cage from him. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming!" Harry merely nodded vaguely.

"You ready to go?" A gruff voice growled next him. Moody. He nodded, dreading their location. Moody handed him a book. William Shakespeare's 'King Lear'. Harry raised an eyebrow at it and looked at the old man's scarred face confusedly. "Portkey. From Dumbledore." Harry tilted his head. "Don't worry. It's Ministry approved by the Minister himself. No one else knows about it." Harry nodded and took hold of it. Kingsley took his trunk from him.

"We'll follow with your things, Harry." He said, his bald head gleaming.

"Ten seconds." Moody muttered, stepping away. "You almost didn't make it. Guess Dumbledore knew you'd take longer this time."

"See you in about a year, Mr. Potter." Harry heard Mrs. Figg say from the back of the room. Harry saw her and offered her a small smile before he felt the usual tug behind his navel and was whisked away from Mrs. Figg's foyer.

Not three seconds later, he was in the library of Grimmauld Place, it having been cleaned up last year. He looked around and saw the Black tapestry hanging on the wall where it had always been, Sirius's name still obliterated from its embroidered surface. Behind the desk sat Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry nodded to him.

"Hello Harry." The old man said kindly. "Welcome back. I'm glad you made it here safely and I'm sure that Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger are anxious to see you. After dinner, I'd like to see all three of you and the rest of the Weasely's in here if you don't mind." Harry nodded and left the library.

He was still angry at the old man for refusing to tell him anything and somehow, he knew that Dumbledore accepted that. He went down to the kitchen and stood in the doorway for all of thirty seconds before being attacked by a tall, lanky, freckled, redhead and a short, curly brunette. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, his two best friends.

They led him to the table, where Mrs. Weasley plopped a plate of dinner in front of him, talking to him about their summers and what they had learned about Voldemort's movements. Harry looked around him at the whole Weasley family. Percy excluded, and Hermione, and thought that maybe, just maybe he could deal with these agonizing surroundings.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Plans For A New Strategy

After a wonderful dinner, the best Harry had eaten all summer, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley herded him, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie back upstairs to the library to meet with Dumbledore. When they stepped inside, Harry found that the Headmaster had conjured up enough comfortable chairs for them all and they sat down.

"Thank you all for coming." Dumbledore began. "I am sorry that I could not join you for dinner. I had a few things that were necessary for me to finish before this meeting. But, I am ready now, I believe. This meeting will be very short for some of you and - longer for others." He looked pointedly towards Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "But I just wanted to inform you that there has been a change in plans. As many of our finest have perished in this war already, I felt that it was time to bring in a few reinforcements before more were killed. A few of you may know of whom I speak for this couple cannot seem to escape the media, though they tend to stick to a remote area which you cannot apparate to. Oh, once inside the mountains you can apparate here and there, Miss Granger," Dumbledore pointed out to Hermione, who had opened her mouth to protest. "But you cannot apparate directly into the area, or the towns lying in those cold peaks. They are extremely well adverse in their art and even though they will be moving in here permanently - or at least until the war is over - the Minister has granted them leniency and they will not have to answer to our Ministry officials for anything."

"Wait just a moment, Professor," Ron interrupted him. "But who are you talking about? Everyone else seems to know, or at least have some idea," He added at Harry's questioning look." But I have absolutely no clue."

"It's that Ludvaros couple from Transylvania, Ron." Hermione told him before Dumbledore could say anything. "You know, the ones who are always all over the newspaper?" Ron looked shocked and impressed.

"Really? Those ones who don't get in trouble for killing or torture? That is so wicked!"

"It is not 'wicked' to kill, Ronald." Hermione scolded him.

"Aw, come on Hermione. You know those Death Eaters deserve it."

"No one deserves to die, Ron." Ron sighed and rolled his eyes as if finding the entire argument hopeless.

"Yes, it is the Ludvaros family, Miss Granger, and yes, they will not be reprimanded for using any killing curses, forgivable or otherwise, but that is not why they are here. Not the entire reason anyway. They are extremely talented in Defense Against the Dark Arts, especially coming from Transylvania, and they know how to deal with what would seem to be an utterly hopeless situation. They will be staying here, at Grimmauld Place, for the time being."

"Wait a moment." Harry said. "They have a daughter, don't they?"

"Yes." Dumbledore replied. "I was just getting to her. Aurelia." He said, making sure to roll the 'R'. "She will be staying here as well until the school year starts, at which time she will be attending Hogwarts in your year." He said, nodding to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I must warn you, though." He added, looking at the trio intently. "I would not get on her nerves if I were you. A mighty temper that one. Why, I once saw her a few summers ago, right after your second year, I had gone to visit them at their home and there was a little girl there visiting as well - they go to school together - and they were playing a Transylvanian game in the yard. The little girl was taunting Aurelia out of spite because she was losing the game. Aurelia's temper got the better of her and after a while, she whipped out her wand as quick as a flash and stunned the girl mercilessly. And even hours later, after the girl had been sent home and her mother and father were reprimanding her for it; she showed no remorse at having done it. In fact, she seemed to have disappointed with herself that she hadn't done more to the girl. But, I am sure that you have read the articles that she was indirectly placed in, and you must have noticed that those were more - ah gruesome than other from the Ludvaros family. They have successfully kept her name out directly, but everyone there knows who it is. They respect her, of course, but I believe that it may be more out of fear than anything else. It will be difficult, this I know, but for everyone's sake and for the sake of peace, please promise to try."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all nodded solemnly. Harry thought that she couldn't be that bad if she was against the Death Eaters. Dumbledore looked pleased and opened his mouth to say something else when the doorbell rang suddenly and Mrs. Black started screaming.

"Ah." He said instead, standing and smoothing his robes. "They're here. Wonderful."

He swept out the door, Mr. Weasley right after him along with Bill, Charlie, and the Twins.

Mrs. Weasley tutted around the trio and Ginny, making sure that they looked a bit nice (Ron complaining the whole time) before she let them leave.

They hurried out to the entry hall where they first saw Bill and Charlie finish closing Mrs. Black's curtain and heard her shouts cut off suddenly. Their eyes next landed on who Harry knew as the Ludvaros couple from their one photograph in the newspaper.

Sorina had her hair tied back with a forest green ribbon that matched her tight, lace-up vest over a loose black shirt, black pants, and knee-high black boots. On her back was a small pack and it seemed to be her only luggage.

Vladimir was similarly dressed, except his clothes were less form-fitting than his wife's and were black and brown. His hair, as Harry had guessed, was brown and, like in the photograph, was slicked back out of his face, yet still curled around his ears and neck.

They were talking to Dumbledore in low voices, and Harry could not hear them. Excitedly, he searched for their daughter. What had Dumbledore said her name was? Oh yes, he remembered now - Aurelia. Lovely.

There she was, by the door, glaring at Mrs. Black's now-covered portrait, her features contorted into an annoyed scowl making her look dangerous, but nonetheless pretty. Her hair was such a dark brown that it was almost black, with lighter chestnut streaks here and there. It curled lusciously to just below her shoulder blades. Her eyes were narrowed so he could not see their color.

She wore tight black pants and black boots that buckled all the way up to her mid-thigh. Her peasant shirt - what he could see of it anyway - was a soft cream color with red flower designs. Most of it was covered by a black corset and a soft mauve velvet jacket. On her hands she wore black leather gloves, and around her neck was a black leather cord, from which hung a fairly large, silver cross. Her skin was quite pale and yet her facial features were dark and dramatic.

After what seemed like an eternity to Harry - but what could only have been a few seconds - she seemed to sense him watching her and she glanced at him. One eyebrow rose, yet her eyes remained narrowed. As a few more seconds passed and he still could not look away, her scowl deepened further.

"Vat do you vant?" She asked scathingly, her heavy accent rolling off her tongue.

"What?" Ron asked, not understanding her words. The girl sighed.

"I asked 'im vat he vanted." Her narrowed gaze flicked towards the lanky redhead. "Vich vas a question directed at 'im, not at you. Now, are you going to answer it or are you going to just stand there like a fool?" She directed her question at Harry.

"Children," Dumbledore announced, throwing warning glares at Harry and Ron. "Why don't you all go down to the kitchen and let us talk?" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny began to follow his instructions, but the Ludvaros girl made no movement, opting to glare at the old Professor instead.

"Aurelia," Sorina Ludvaros barked at her daughter. "Go to the kitchen vith the others." Aurelia's gaze flicked to her mother before following orders. And then she followed them down to the kitchens.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Enemy From Within

Once the five teenagers had entered the kitchen, Aurelia pushed past them and threw herself into a chair at the head of the table and plopped her booted feet up onto its polished surface. She yawned widely as if bored before fixing her eyes on Harry again.

"You still 'ave not answered my qvuestion." She said. "Do you just choose not to, or are you deaf?"

"I'm not deaf." He said, getting rather tired of her insults. "And I don't _want_ anything from you. I'm just curious about our new allies."

"Vell," She said, placing her hands behind her head and tilting her chair back on its two back legs. "I don't like it ven people stare at me, so don't do it." She ordered.

"You can't order him around!" Ron cried, taking Harry's side immediately.

"I believe that I just did."

"Don't you know who he is? He's Harry Potter!" The girl whistled in sarcastic awe, her eyes widening. Then they narrowed again.

"I know who he is." She spat at Ron, and then she turned back to Harry. "Mr. Potter, your reputation precedes you."

"And what _'reputation' _might that be?" Harry asked her scathingly.

"Vell, let's see, shall ve? You take life threatening decisions into you own hands, vithout any care about vat it might do to another's health. You don't think about any of the consequences before you act, vich has already gotten two people killed. You barge into things half-cocked vithout telling anyvon because you are so sure of yourself and your abilities. In general, ven it comes to battling dark forces, you are an idiot."

"You think I'm an idiot?" Was all Harry could say, he was so angry that his vision had gone red and he could not think straight any longer.

"Oh no, _I_ don't. But vat is my humble opinion against thousands of others?"

"I wasn't his fault they were killed!" Ginny exclaimed, her face red from rage. Aurelia's gaze flicked to the younger girl.

"I don't believe that I ever said that it vas his fault that they vere _killed_. It is simply his fault that they vere in the situation in the first place. I know that it is Voldemort's fault that they are dead. I am not stupid."

"Could have fooled me." Harry muttered under his breath. Aurelia's eyes narrowed even further - she obviously had very good hearing.

"I did not ask for your opinion _Potter._" She said his surname as loathingly as she did Voldemort's. It shook him at first, but then it enraged him even more than he had been before.

"Whether you asked for it or not, _Ludvaros_," He pronounced her name as loathingly and scathingly as she had said his. "I'm giving it to you. You cannot just come in here and accuse me of things. You don't know me." The girl smirked - actually smirked - at him.

"You are absolutely right." She said. "I don't know you. And I don't vant to know you." Her face darkened. "If you vere not needed to vin this var vonce for all, you vould not be standing on you own two feet at the moment. As it is, you are needed very much so I cannot and must therefore be patient. But my patience only goes so far. You have been varned."

Then, she promptly got up and made to push past him to leave the room, but he grabbed her arm roughly to stop her. He could feel how hard and muscular it was for a split second before it was ripped from his grasp. He then felt an iron grip with very long, very sharp nails attached, latch into his own arm and he was spun around and smacked face-first into the wood paneled door of the kitchen with a loud thud. He struggled before his free arm was pinned behind him as well in an extremely uncomfortable position. He then felt a presence near his ear and soft hair tickling the back of his neck.

"Don't touch me." He heard Aurelia breathe. "It is not vise."

Then, without warning, she swung him around by his arms and released him suddenly. He lost his balance due to the speed and force of the motion and fell on Ron, sending them both sprawling. When they had finally disentangled themselves, Aurelia was gone.

"Oh, no, she doesn't." Harry said, and followed her out the door.

He nearly collided with her at the top of the dimly lit steps where she had stopped. He immediately started in on telling her off even though her back was turned to him.

"Who the bloody hell do you think you -" But he was cut off when the soft black leather on her hand found his mouth and covered it, muffling his words.

"Quiet." She hissed at him. "I am trying to listen to vat they are saying, you idiot, so if you don't mind, kindly shut up for ten minutes."

Harry glared at her defiantly over the tops of her leather covered fingers and made a sound that was a distinctive 'no'. She smiled wickedly.

"I could just put a silencing charm on you. In fact, I know the perfect one. It's permanent. I'm sure that there vould be plenty of people who vould thank me." Her dangerously accented voice growled out. Harry jerked back from her hand.

"There _is_ no such spell." He hissed at her.

"Not a legal vone, no. But I don't have to answer for illegal spells. No vone even vill know if I do vone. So it's perfect. And you vill no longer be able to annoy me."

"And yet you can do everything in your power to annoy me?"

"It seems so unfair to you, I know." Smiled sarcastically. "But really, it vill be fine, you'll see. After about ten years, you'll get used to being mute and I vill hopefully be back home. So ve vill both vin. Or maybe not. But I really don't care, just so long as I do."

"Do what?"

"Vin." Then she ignored him and turned back to eavesdrop on the adults, only to find that they were gone. She turned back to him angrily to find a smirk of triumph on his face.

"Looks like I won this time." He said.

"Seems that you did. I commend you. But just know this,"

She moved in closer, her face mere centimeters from his. He could feel her cool breath mingling with his and could look nowhere but her eyes. They were a light, acid green with gold and brown flecks everywhere.

"Next time, you von't." She then twirled away quickly, the ends of her curls skimming his cheeks, and hurried away.

He let out a breath and glared after her. How could anyone so awful truly be on their side? He didn't trust her. She was as bad as Snape, if not worse. The two would probably get along splendidly.

He shook his head and descended the steps again, entering the warm kitchen once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Torturous Summer

The next day, Harry and Ron went down to breakfast slowly, dreading another confrontation with Aurelia. When they entered the kitchen though, they didn't see her there. There was only Mrs. Weasley making more breakfast, Hermione and Ginny eating and talking at the table, and Aurelia's mother, who was talking to Mrs. Weasley from the table.

"Aurelia is the cook in our family." She was saying as Harry and Ron sat down next to Hermione. "I don't know vat Vlad and I are going to do vile she is avay at school." Her voice, like Aurelia's was low and deep and dangerous, but, as she was smiling at Mrs. Weasley, there was also a light and a charm to it.

"She didn't go to a boarding school in Transylvania?" Hermione asked her, nodding a greeting to the boys as Mrs. Weasley set plates down in front of them.

"Oh no, not anymore. It vas in the mountains, you see. And the vampire problem populates our mountains quite heavily. And it keeps growing every year no matter how hard ve try to stop them. It got to the point that there vere so many that ve had to shut down the school. Aurelia vas thirteen then and she vas - not happy about it, to put it mildly. She has been home schooled ever since. There is another school now, in the village, but it is not a boarding school and is only for the young vons. Ven they reach thirteen they either do not learn anymore or they are home schooled as Aurelia is. Ve, Vlad and I, have taught her everything that ve know, and she has also been tutored extensively. She is a very smart girl; everything comes easily to her - perhaps a bit too easily than for her own good. I'm afraid that she does suffer from a rather large ego. And I'm also afraid that Vlad and I have never really tried to do anything about it. In fact, I do believe that ve have helped it to grow over the years, especially now that _he_ is back. It vas just that ve are so low on good people in the offices now, because of the vampires, that ve are so very short handed. And vith everyone vorking on those problems and never coming back human again, ve needed a few reinforcements of our very own. And as there vas no von but Aurelia, ve decided that it vas time that she got some field practice in. She's got quite a talent, I'll admit. I vas very impressed vith her. The minister himself gave her a job, vich she vas not at all happy to leave, of that I can assure you."

"You can assure them of vat, mother?" Came the suspicious voice of the current subject as she walked through the door.

"Just that you vere upset about having to leave your job at the ministry, dearest. Did you sleep vell? Come and have some of the delicious breakfast that Mrs. Veasley has made for you."

Harry, throughout this, had kept his eyes fixed furiously on his plate. He had hoped that he could have avoided the infuriating Ludvaros girl, but obviously it had been a false hope. He heard the girl go around the table towards her mother and only looked up when he caught a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye.

She was wearing an outfit much the same as the night before, except she did not wear the jacket nor did she wear the gloves. And the peasant shirt was, although the same style, made of silk and was a lovely, shiny gold color. Her corset today was also black but this time it was silk and much more ornate than the one the night before with gold clasps and gold thread designs all over it. Her pants were also silk and her boots now had gold clasps, too.

She sat down next to her mother, seeming to take no notice of the other teenagers, which Harry was fine with, and slumped in her chair, yawning and twirling one luscious curl around her finger.

"Don't slouch, Aurelia." Sorina ordered her and she sat up straight as fast as if someone had put the full-body-bind on her. Harry snickered and she glared at him. He simply sat back in his chair and smirked at her. She just as simply raised her eyebrow and blinked, and then she turned back to her mother.

"I slept fine, mother. Just fine. And it does smell just divine Mrs. Veasley." She shot an endearing smile to the woman, who beamed back.

"Well I hope that it tastes as good as it smells, dear."

"I am quite sure that it vill." Aurelia smiled again and nodded her thanks as Mrs. Weasley set a plate down in front of her. "Vere is father?" She then asked her mother, picking up a fork and spearing a sausage link on the end of it.

"Out." Sorina said simply.

Aurelia, who had been about to take a bite off of the sausage, stopped and slowly turned her head to her mother, her eyes narrowing again.

"That's that you need to know, dearest." Aurelia's eyes widened slightly in disbelief and she opened her mouth to speak. It was obviously meant to be an angry outburst but was stopped short by a sharp glance from Sorina, to which the girl simply gave a feeble glare and took an angry bite of sausage. "I must be off, too, dear. I vill see you before dinner. You don't have to vorry about me." Sorina got up and patted Aurelia's cheek before nodding to Mrs. Weasley and moving towards the door.

Aurelia glared at her mother even after the door had closed behind her.

"Do you always dress so... uh... decadently?" Hermione asked her cautiously. Aurelia's eyes flicked towards the girls before she nodded. "Why?"

"I vas alvays taught that you should alvays look your best no matter vat. Obviously, that lesson vas overlooked in _some_ people's childhoods." Her acid eyes roamed over Harry's rumpled hair and clothing. He smirked at her again.

"That's a wonderful opinion. You should learn to keep yours to yourself for no one cares to hear them."

"I'm very careful of how I express my opinions of you because I vant to put as much vituperation in them as possible."

"You should toss out more of your funny remarks, Ludvaros, because that's all that they're good for."

"Vell, at least they are good for _something_, unlike yours, Potter."

"Children, _please_!" Mrs. Weasley scolded, sending a disapproving look Harry's way. "If you cannot say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

"I doubt that she _can_ say anything nice." Ron spat towards Aurelia, who just smirked at him.

"Only to certain people who deserve it. Vich is not you or him." She flicked her fork with the half eaten sausage towards Harry.

The sausage flew off of the fork, sailed through the air, and smacked the raven-haired boy on the nose. Aurelia gave a short laugh, which was met with Harry picking up a handful of his untouched scrambled eggs and tossing them into _her_ face. Her laughter was cut short and an astonished silence followed, awaiting her reaction.

Aurelia merely wiped her face with her napkin and inclined her head at Harry. But her eyes were burning, the gold in them glinting alarmingly bright. She then stood and walked towards the door. Five pairs of eyes followed her every movement.

Just before she reached the door, she stopped, turned back around, and strode towards a frozen Harry, who was astonished by what he had just done. She stopped just behind his chair, reached around him, picked up his full milk glass, and then poured it over his head.

Once it was empty, she calmly set it back down on the table and walked out of the room.


	6. Almost Over

Chapter Six: Almost Over

Later that day, after taking a shower and giving his clothes to Mrs. Weasley, who had told him that she was shocked at his behavior and that he had gotten what he had deserved, to wash, Harry sat fuming in the living room with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. At first, right after he had done it, he had been shocked that he had thrown his eggs at her, but not anymore. How dare she! She had gotten what she deserved and was _she _being reprimanded for it? No, she was up in her room, holed away from the rest of them.

'Arrogant git.' Thought Harry. Well, at least they would be on the train tomorrow morning and he could lose her there. All he had to do now was avoid her for the rest of the day, which seemed very possible if she didn't- But no, she stepped into the room just as he thought this, an old book that looked as if it had seem much better days about a hundred years ago tucked under her arm. She looked around at all of them and scowled before sitting behind the lone desk in the room with her back to them. She set the book down on the desk, opened it, and began to poor over it. Reading it's text as if it held the secret to living forever.

"Brushing up on our witty remarks, are we Ludvaros?" He spat towards her scathingly.

She turned a page saying, "I don't need to, Potter. I can outvit you any day."

"You wish."

"You know, ordinarily, people live and learn. You just live."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know vat I've heard and I know enough to tell that you don't learn from your mistakes, and that you don't even vant to."

"Not when they come to you, because I don't see them as mistakes."

"I vonder vy you're still talking, Potter: nobody's listening to you."

"And yet, you're still responding to everything I say."

"Vell, someone has to tell you to shut up, don't they? And if I don't, who vill?"

"Someone to whom I shall actually listen to." She turned another page.

"Ah, but is there such a person living? For I vas under the impression that you listened to no von."

"Well, you're _impression _was wrong, per usual. I just don't listen to you."

"Then vy are you talking to me?"

"Because I want to see how long it will take to wear you down."

"It von't happen, at least not any time soon. I can keep this battle of vits up forever if I vant to."

"There is no battle of wits between you and me. I never pick on an unarmed girl." Another page was turned.

"Don't you realize that there are enough people in the vorld who hate you? Vy are you vorking so hard to give yourself another?"

"Oh, pardon me! If I've said anything to you that I should be sorry for, I'm glad."

"Thinking isn't you're strong suit, is it?"

"I think that you've mistaken me for someone who gives a damn." This earned him a shocked "_Harry!_" From Hermione and he only then remembered that she, Ginny, and Ron were in the room, and they had all stopped what they were doing and were looking on at the argument like a tennis match.

"You know, Potter, I don't think that ve are going to get along vell vith each other." Aurelia said as she turned another page.

"We'll get along fine as soon as you admit that you could never win an argument with me, which is the truth." This earned him a short laugh from the girl.

"And vat color is the sky in your vorld?"

"Blue, unlike yours."

"I'll give you that you are very quick vith your comebacks, and that is all. But know this: A sharp tongue is no indication of a keen mind. You have the first, but the latter is unlikely."

"And there you are, reigning supreme at number two!"

"Keep talking, Potter. Just keep talking. Someday you _vill _say something intelligent. Or else, I vill have absolutely _no_ hope for half-vits anyvere. Now if you are _quite_ finished in this hopeless pursuit of yours, vich I have no intention of pursuing vith you anymore, leave me alone so that I may get this vork done before tomorrow."

"And what, may I ask, is so important?"

"Make somevon happy, Potter, and mind your own business."

"Now, why would I want to make you happy, Ludvaros?" Harry asked slyly, moving towards the desk and snatching the book form under her nose. He quickly scanned the page in hopes to find out the gist of what she was reading, but it was written by hand and in a completely different language. "How can you understand this thing? It's written in Latin."

"No, it isn't you idiot." She said, snatching the book back from him and scowling. "It's vritten in a mixture of French, Greek, and Russian, and I vas given the task of translating it all _into_ Romanian and English. So if you _don't_ mind, I vould like to get back to it as it vill take me avile. Good day, Mr. Potter." She then turned back to the desk, set the book back on top of it, and began reading it again.

"So, is the book interesting?" He asked her, sounding casual, but merely trying to distract her from her work.

"So far, no."

"What's it about?"

"I have but read only five pages, Potter, I still don't know. Ask me tomorrow."

"Why do you have to translate it?"

"Because I vas told to."

"By who?"

"Professor Dumbledore." Now, Harry became interested.

"Why would Dumbledore want _you_ translate a book?"

"I don't know, I simply do vat I am told."

"What did he say about the book?"

"Just that it vas important."

"Very important or slightly important?" Aurelia looked up from the book, having grown exasperated now with all of his questions.

"Vy do you care? I has nothing to do vith you."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because, it has to do vith me."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it has something to do vith vampires. Do you know of any vampires? Have you ever fought any vampires?"

"No."

"Vell, then, it obviously has nothing to do vith you and a lot to do vith me since my answer to both questions, unlike yours, is a yes. Now, as I said before, Potter, good _day_. Now please, leave me alone."

"You really don't like being nice, do you?"

"Not to you, no."

"And you don't like being cooperative either, do you?"

"Not vith you, no."

"So you aren't going to tell me anything about it at all?"

"No."

"Is the answer to your questions always a no?"

"No."

"Right, well then, I guess that there's nothing more to say, now is there?"

"No, nothing at all."

"Such a pity, I was rather beginning to enjoy our little conversation."

"I'm so glad that you vere, Potter. Now, if you are trying to annoy me, vich I do believe that you are, you are succeeding at it, but if you are trying to distract me, vich I believe that you are as vell, _that_ is not going to vork, no matter how hard you try at it, so you might as vell just give up before I stop being annoyed and start becoming very angry. And trust me, Potter, you do _not_ vant to see me angry, you vould _not_ like it at all." She flipped back to the first page of the book.

"And why is that?"

"It could be quite hazardous to you health, of that you can be assured." At that, she drew her wand from her corset and flicked it in one flowing, elegant movement and muttered something that Harry could not hear under her breath. He drew back, his hand going to his own wand in his back pocket, fearing that she was jinxing him, but stopped when he saw a rather large stack of parchment, a gleaming, expensive-looking ink well, and a lavish eagle quill in a marble and velvet stand appear on the desk next to the large tome that girl was still reading from.

He watched her long-nailed fingers pluck the quill from it's stand, dip it into the ink well, and begin writing, all without her looking at it, in beautifully looped script. The ink was a dark red that looked a lot like blood in Harry's eyes, but he only noticed the color for a split second until he began to read the words that were rapidly being written across the parchment.

_'There are many different types, or species, of Vampires in the world, all with their own name, classification, and characteristics. _

_'This journal, written in one of these so afflicted being's own hand, will break all the rules given to him by his maker, and his sire before that, and will tell you of them all, describe them to you, and tell you how you may be able to kill them, should you have the great misfortune to come across one, for which this vampire truly pities you if you do not heed the words that I write. _

_'I understand fully that, by writing this account, I am endangering my own immortality, but, as I was made a vampire quite against my will, I must admit to still having mortal feelings and emotions that my kind say do us no good. I do not wish to stay a vampire for all eternity, feasting on the warm blood of my once-fellow beings, and, if I should be turned to ash for putting these words, my own, to pen, then so be it. That is what I would rather than a life of murder. _

_'First, I must say to you that, while not all vampires are evil, all show no remorse in taking what they need to survive in this world of darkness - a mortal's life-blood. None are safe from us. It does no matter how good a vampire may be, the blood-lust, the thirst, the hunger - if you will - is stronger than anything that any mere mortal can imagine. I know, for I have felt hunger on both sides - the day and the Night, the living and the undead. Nothing can compare. I will describe it to you in future passages but, as I fear that I may have to hide this from unfriendly eyes soon, I must get started on what all vampire hunters - as I believe that you may well be if you are a mortal and you ever read this - need to know and understand with utmost importance. _

_'Different species of vampire must be killed - and prevented - in different ways and therefore, you must be able to distinguish one from the other. _

_'Firstly, there are the 'dead' vampires, or 'undead' to say the very least. These are vampires that have died before. Whether it be that they were vampires before they died and simply carried it over into their undeath, or they were given the 'virus' as some call it, or pagan rituals were performed, or the ceremonial burial rights were not performed either at all or incorrect and they are punished for it with living death for all of eternity. _

_'The first type of 'Dead' Vampire is the-'_

"Aurelia." Harry snapped out of his reading, hearing Professor Dumbledore's voice, and looked up quickly. Sure enough, Professor Dumbledore stood in the doorway to the living room, watching Harry and Aurelia with curiosity.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aurelia hold up one finger before marking he place on the page with a small red dot of ink. She then looked up at the old professor with much more respect than she had the previous night.

"My dear, would you mind terribly working on this project in the library with me? I am afraid that there may be too many distractions in the living room for you and - others." He looked at Harry sternly and Harry flushed a bit and looked down.

"Of course I vouldn't mind Professor." Aurelia said sweetly, flicking her wand. The unused parchment, ink well, quill, and stand disappeared and she placed the used parchment in the book, keeping her page, before scooping it under her gold-clothed arm. "It vill be vonderful to get avay from such _distractions_." She sneered at Harry, who sneered right back at her, the flush gone from his cheeks. She then smiled sweetly again at Dumbledore and swept out of the room.

"I'll be there in a moment, go ahead and get started again, I'm terribly sorry for interrupting you." The old professor called after her. He then turned to Harry. "Harry, my boy. I heard about your accident with your milk this morning. I must say that, though it would be quite amusing in any other circumstances, these were not."

"I'm sorry sir, but she-"

"Harry, Aurelia is a guest here and she should be treated with respect. Please, do not forget so easily what I thought I had stressed last night before she came. She is not used to anyone threatening her authority on matters, especially not from someone her own age. I had hoped that you would be the gallant English gentleman that I had always thought that you were. Please, don't disappoint me again. And remember, what she does for the order, as well as what her parents do, are not any of your business unless it is told to you or asked of you directly, Aurelia does not take kindly to eavesdroppers or people who look over her shoulders. Everything that you need to know, you will know, that I promise you. But this - this is none of your concern. This is merely to help Aurelia with the tedious tasks that lie ahead of her in this war. Your own will come when it is needed, which I do believe will be soon. So please, for peace sake, Harry, either make peace or leave her alone. She has put her life on the line by coming here, and so have her parents, and whether she or you like it or not, they are here to help as best they can. Good day children." And with that, he closed the door and left.

"Don't worry Harry." Ron said. "The summer's almost over. We go back to Hogwarts tomorrow, and then you won't have to see her again outside of classes."

"That's not for certain Ron, he may just see her in the common room."

"Hermione! You can't really think that!" Ron exclaimed. "She's never going to be in Gryffindor!"

"And why not?"

"Well, because, well - you saw her! She's as much of a Slytherin as Malfoy is!"

"Ron! How dare you say such a thing? She's here to help us! Why, just her last name, like Harry's or yours, would probably get her killed in the Slytherin common room!"

"And the world would be a better place because of it." Hermione looked furious.

"You would be willing to have our enemies kill off one of our most powerful allies, someone who can do the most damage without any retributions or inhibitions just because you don't like her?"

"Yeah, I would."

"I can't believe you!" Hermione stood, snapped her book closed, and stormed to the door. "If I didn't know you better, Ron - if I had just met you - I would have believed that _you_ were the one in Slytherin." And with that, she left the room. Ron looked around at Harry and Ginny.

"Can you believe she just said that to me?" He asked incredulously. Ginny glared at him.

"Yes, Ron, I can. And I agree with her."

"Oh, not you, too!"

"Yes, Ron. Me, too. You heard what Dumbledore said. She and her parents are risking their lives in order to help _us_. In order to help the Order. And I haven't heard them complain about it _once_. If that's not bravery, I don't know what is."

"Harry, aren't _you_ going to side with me? I know that you hate her as much as I do." Ron pleaded.

"You're both right, Ron. I don't like her at all, but what Hermione said was true. If she's sorted into Slytherin at the feast, we sure as hell won't see her the next morning. And, as much as I hate to say it, if Voldermort's got vampires on his side, which I do believe that he does, we _are_ going to need her help - and a _lot_ of it."


	7. Unwilling Allies

Chapter Seven: Unwilling Allies

Harry and Ron were awoken the next morning by Mrs. Weasley's knocking on their door and telling them that it was time for a hurried breakfast before they left for the train. As soon as the two had given their assent that they were awake, they heard her move on to the girls' room across the hall. Harry rolled out of the comfort of his bed, putting on his glasses and groping for his shirt.

"Get up, Ron." He called to the lanky read head who had turned back over in order to go back to sleep.

"Sod off, Harry." Came the muffled reply.

"Come on." Harry whipped the bedclothes from his friend's body before leaving the bedside to grope for his jeans. "There's food. And you need to eat a lot. I don't want to have to listen to your complaints about your empty stomach all day."

"Oh, all right. I'll get up. But not to appease you. Just because I'm hungry."

"Right." Harry said, smiling as the boy tried to put on his shirt without moving from the comfort of his bed. There was another knock on the door just as Harry sat down at the foot of his own bed in order to tie his trainers. He got up and went to the door, chuckling at Ron who was, at that moment, trying to force his head through his sleeve. He opened the door to find Hermione's smiling face.

"Good morning, Harry. It's nice to see that you're up."

"Morning Hermione." He said, trying to keep his laughter to a minimum.

"Is Ron awake yet?" She asked.

"Yes," He replied. "He's just dressing for breakfast in bed." He found this terribly clever and had to put his fist to his mouth to keep his laughter at Hermione's confused face quiet.

"What?" She asked him.

"Here." He answered, throwing open the door. Ron had still been unsuccessful in fitting his head through his sleeve and was now working on his own jeans, still not leaving the bed.

"Ah." Hermione said, a blush creeping into her smiling cheeks. "I see what you mean. Good morning, Ron." She called. If Harry didn't know her better, he would have thought that she was reveling in Ron's apparent discomfort.

And uncomfortable the boy was. The flailing body on the bed had frozen save for one hand that was reaching for the strewn bedclothes.

"H- H- Her- Hermione?" Came the stuttering voice from inside the shirt.

"Yeah, Ron." Harry said, grinning madly. "Hermione came to say hello and to see that we were up." Ron clutched the coverlet to his chest.

"Well, uh - good morning to you, too, then Hermione but - if you wouldn't mind... uh..."

"Certainly." The girl said, smiling wickedly. "I'll see you both downstairs." She was nearly out the door when she turned back to Harry. "If he doesn't sort it out for himself soon - help him. As funny as it is, I'd hate for him to be humiliated in front of our guests." Then, still smiling, she left the room. Harry laughed and moved back over to Ron. He snatched the shirt off his head and then tossed it into his lap.

"She's gone." He said. "But I wouldn't put it past her to come back or for someone else to knock, so you should probably get dressed fast."

"Right." The red head said, springing from the bed and doing just that, his voice high and cracking. Harry, chuckling, sat back down on his own bed and resumed tying his shoes. Just as he was finishing the second and Ron was pulling his shirt on right, there was another knock at the door. "Oh, for pity's sake!" Cried Ron, hurriedly putting his shirt down. "Why?" He asked Harry who shrugged and went to the door. He opened it carefully to see Ginny's smirking face.

"I was told," She said, shaking with held-in laughter. "To tell you both that you were taking far too long. And that you might not like the next time someone in sent up to tell you. Have a nice day." Then, laughing, she skipped off down the hallway. Harry shut the door, shaking his head.

"Ginny says that we're taking too long." He relayed to Ron.

"Wonderful." Ron said, sitting down to tie his own shoes. Harry began to throw the last of his things into his trunk as Ron finished and then began to do the same. As they both were closing and locking the lids, there was a rather loud banging on the door. "What now?" Ron cried and this time _he_ went to the door and threw it open. Leaning against the doorframe was the one person that Harry had wanted to avoid this morning.

Aurelia Ludvaros stood there in an outfit that revealed more skin than he had ever seen of her. True, it consisted of pants, a corset, and a blouse, but the blouse was white with off the shoulder, three-inch wide sleeves. The corset was cut slightly lower than usual and was a deep crimson color. Her tight pants and tall boots were, again, black, but they shimmered with a hint of red that did not seem possible.

'Magic.' His mind said, finding a cause for this seeming impossibility instantly. Her curls had been piled on top of her head elegantly with a few ringlets hanging down gracefully. In her ears were dark red ruby studs and there was another on a silver band around her right ring finger. The large silver cross still hung around her neck. Her make up was as dark as usual, only her lips were a bit redder this morning. She looked annoyed.

"I vas told to tell the two of you that-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Ron interrupted her as Harry moved towards the door. "We know that we're taking too long. We're working on it. So you can just go on back downstairs and tell them that we'll be down in a minute and that we don't need any more messengers. Thank you very much. Have a nice day." He started to close the door on her, but her foot stopped it before it had moved an inch. Her eyes were dark with anger but her posture was still the same save for her foot.

"Actually," She said. "I am not a _messenger_." She spat the word out as if it were poisonous. "As I vas _saying_, I vas told to tell you both that if vas time to leave and that you missed breakfast. It is time to go now and you need to bring your trunks and yourselves as you are. Mr. and Mrs. Veasley vill send anything you leave behind to you. Have a _nice _day." She then turned away and stalked down the hallway.

"Oh." Ron said. "Well that's just great."

"So much for no complaints about your stomach. Come on, before she comes back. Or your mum comes."

"Right." Ron said. He went over to his trunk and began dragging it to the door as Harry did the same.

When they got them downstairs, there was no one waiting for them. Ginny's, Hermione's, and Aurelia's trunks and Crookshanks' carrier were all sitting in the hallway but their owners were nowhere to be found.

"Where do you think they are?" Harry asked, setting his trunk down with Hedwig's cage atop it and studying the ornate golden calligraphy which spelled out Aurelia's name on top of her trunk.

"No idea. Want to check the kitchen?"

"Yeah." Harry said. The two started for the kitchen door when it opened and Aurelia, Ginny, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Ludvaros, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, Mundungus Fletcher, and Mad Eye Moody stepped out.

"Nice to see that you two are finally up." Sorina said to them smiling kindly. Harry could not help but smile back. "I suppose that you both are hungry?" The two nodded simultaneously. "Vell, you can eat in the car. Ve need to go now in order to beat the London traffic."

"Yes, ma'am." They said and started for their trunks.

"No, no, no, boys." Vladimir said. "Aurelia and I vill take care of those. You just get to the cars."

"Aurelia's not coming with us?" Hermione asked as the boys were ushered towards the door by Mrs. Weasley.

"No, she has decided that she vants to apparate to the platform. Don't vorry. She is qvite safe. She has been doing this for three years. Many times in much more dangerous situations. You four vill be accompanied by Sorina, Molly, Arthur, and Alastor. You have absolutely nothing to vorry about."

"Yes, sir." Ginny said, pulling Hermione out the door as they waved goodbye to Aurelia. The girl merely nodded in return as the door shut.

The company piled into the ministry car that had been provided for them and set off towards the train station. The traffic was, amazingly, not nearly as bad as usual, and they made it there in record time. The short trip through the barrier between platforms nine and ten was no problem for any of them and took even less time than usual because they did not have any heavy luggage trolleys to push through it.

Once they were all safely on platform nine and three quarters, they spotted Aurelia and her father next to the train with their luggage. When Aurelia had spotted them walking towards their trunks, she gestured towards them to her father, hugged him shortly and kissed his cheek, saying something that from their ever-shortening distance could not be heard, grabbed her trunk and began pulling it rather easily towards them. Harry avoided her hard gaze as she approached, but found that she was only coming to talk to her mother.

The two women stopped walking as the rest of the group went on. They spoke in low voices to each other for a few moments before Sorina hugged her daughter close and kissed her high forehead. Harry, looking back and watching them, could see tears in the great Sorina Ludvaros' eyes. Aurelia, he noticed however, was as dry eyed as the day that they had first met. He wondered if the girl ever showed any emotions other than anger. Aurelia kissed her mother's cheek, picked up her trunk, and moved towards the train. Sorina, eyes never leaving her daughter, moved towards the group again.

"Harry." He heard Mrs. Weasley say. He turned to her to find that Ron and Hermione had done the same. Ginny was already several feet away, greeting Dean Thomas with a very affectionate hug. "I wonder if you three would mind terribly sitting with Aurelia on the train today. She doesn't know anyone else, you see."

"Oh, mum." Ron started. "Why do we have to-" But he was cut off sharply by Hermione stepping rather harshly onto his foot.

"We'd be happy to, Mrs. Weasley." She said, smiling and throwing a warning glare at Harry and Ron. Harry shrugged and looked around him again, losing interest with this situation quickly. Vladimir had his arms wrapped around Sorina and they had both turned away from the group and towards the train. He followed their gazes to see Aurelia boarding the train. She turned to them shortly and waved goodbye, smiling faintly at them. Then she turned and disappeared onto the train.

Harry was about to turn away from the Ludvaros couple when he saw a certain pale blonde boy with a long, pointed face, board the train after the girl, followed by his two equally familiar lackeys. He took a moment to watch the tree disappear before turning back to Mrs. Weasley. He wasn't going to worry about it. Aurelia Ludvaros could take care of herself if she needed to. He had read as much in the paper over the summer. Plus, Sorina and Vladimir didn't seem very concerned about it, so why should he be? All he had ever heard when the two had talked about their daughter - which admittedly had only been twice - they had only ever said how competent she was in conflict situations. So he didn't need to worry about it. He didn't even need to waste one single thought about Aurelia Ludvaros' safety. So why was he?

He sighed, angry with himself for caring about someone whom he was supposed to be loathing. He picked up his trunk and started for the train.

"Hey, Harry! Where are you off to?" Ron called after him.

"To find Aurelia." He called back.

"But, Harry," Hermione said. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

"Oh, yeah." He muttered and dropped his trunk, narrowly missing his own foot. He turned back and into Mrs. Weasely's waiting arms.

"Goodbye, Harry dear. Take good care of yourself, you hear me? Don't go getting yourself into too much trouble. And please," She ran her hand through his messy hair. "Try to how some patience with Aurelia. I know that it will be hard, but I also know that if anyone can do it, you can. Have a good year dearest." She kissed his forehead. He smiled and nodded at her and turned away. He was about to pick up his trunk again when he was stopped by Sorina and Vladimir Ludvaros.

"Ve've never had the pleasure of officially meeting, Harry. Professor Dumbledore has told me all about your adventures and I must say that I vas - qvite impressed. From vat he says, it seems that you are a remarkable vizard, Harry, if a little reckless at times. I am proud to fight against Voldemort at your side, and I look forward to seeing you again." Vladimir said all of this whilst shaking Harry's hand firmly. He gave a deep nod before moving away towards Ron and Hermione. Harry then found himself the object of Sorina's attention. Her fingers went to his cheek and a soft smile graced her lips.

"I know that she is hard to live vith sometimes. But don't vorry, she vill come around soon, I believe, ven he shock of it all vears off. Difficult times lie ahead, and ve must all learn to trust and tolerate each other. It is the only vay that ve can ever hope to vin this var. Ve must fight hate vith love and ve must never surrender anything to the dark lord. Vether it be our unity, our wands, or our hearts. If it means that some of us must die, then so be it. I am villing to give my life for a safer vorld for those whom I love. But do not take these deaths to heart, my dear." She said, her second hand cupping his other cheek.

"Everyone dies. Vether it is today or fifty years from now, it does not matter. Vat does matter is vy they died, not how. An unjustified death is the vorst thing in the vorld. But a death that comes from a love or a purpose is sometimes the greatest gift that a person can give. Do not let these things veigh too heavily on you. You of all these people who are fighting this var against him, need to have a clear head ven your time to face him comes. Just remember that vonderful things come from love and that the greatest things can be vrought of the smallest of creatures. Keep that in mind this year and you vill be fine. Goodbye, Harry. I vill see you this Christmas, I hope." Her lips caressed his forehead for a long moment before she withdrew to join her husband.

Stunned and thinking only 'Now why can't her daughter be more like her?', Harry grabbed up his trunk and made his way towards the train. He need to find Aurelia.

Once he had hoisted his trunk onto the train and had climbed the steps after it, he set off down the corridor, looking into every compartment he passed for Aurelia. He came upon one that had it's blinds closed and tried the handle. It was open but he cautiously listened through the slight crack in it to see if she really was in there.

"I had thought that you would be foreign, but I didn't know that you would be quite so - infamous." Came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. Harry now knew that the pale boy had, indeed, spotted Aurelia Ludvaros for who she really was. He also knew that he should have thrown open the compartment door, but his curiosity overcame him and he decided to keep listening to what would undoubtedly be an interesting conversation.

"That's so nice of you to say." Came the sickeningly sweet, sarcastic voice of Harry's quarry. "But you, I am afraid, are not so vell known."

"Aurelia Ludvaros." Malfoy continued gloatingly as if the girl had not spoken. "My father has told me a lot about you. Perhaps you know of his as well. Lucius Malfoy?"

"Ah, yes." Came the dark reply. Harry thought that it sounded an awful lot like a growl. "I know of him vell. But I vas not avare that he had a son. And it is no vonder vy I did not."

"And what is that supposed to mean, exactly."

"Just that you are obviously of no great importance as to have varranted any mention vatsoever." Harry would have laughed. So, he wasn't the only one that she insulted. There was a small pause as, he guessed, Malfoy seethed with anger.

"Cheeky little wench, aren't you?" He said, sounding as if his jaw was clenched.

"Usually." Came the rather bored reply. "Now, if you don't mind, I have better things to do vith my time than speaking to an arrogant boy who's sire is a Death Eater. Good day." Harry heard movement and knew that Aurelia was about to throw open the compartment door. He saw her shadow behind the blinds and heard the latch give way. He was about to move away quickly when Malfoy's shadow joined hers.

He was right behind her from the looks of it. Harry bent down and looked up through the small openings in the blinds where they did not close all the way. His eyes were welcomed with a view of Aurelia's crimson colored covered abdomen. Malfoy spoke again and Harry saw his thin hand creep around Aurelia's torso slowly. When it reached the front, it splayed across it and pulled her back into it's owner's chest.

"You would do well to watch yourself, Aurelia Ludvaros. You don't know what could happen to you if get on my bad side."

"Oh. So you _do _have a good side? I vas beginning to think that you vere alvays this amiable." The words were so dripping with sarcasm that it was almost painful to Harry. She had some nerve calling _him_ reckless when she was throwing caution to the winds in order to insult a known and dangerous, if imprisoned, death eater's son.

"Be careful, Transylvanian, you're new here, you don't know how things work yet. But you'll learn - that I can promise. One way or another. I would hate to see this beautiful neck of yours in more danger than it already is. I'll see you at school. Crabbe, Goyle, come on. We'll find another compartment. I don't want to sit with an uncooperative foreigner. Even if she does look titillating." His voice sounded muffled and Harry moved up a bit to see that his mouth was pressed into Aurelia's neck. For some reason, this sight and those words made Harry's blood boil.

He saw that Aurelia was thrust neatly aside and again heard movement and immediately moved back a couple of steps just as the door slid open. Draco Malfoy stepped out, his two cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle lumbering after him. The thin-faced boy with the pale gray eyes looked down the corridor and found that he faced Harry Potter, and a scowl formed on his face.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." He said, and then he looked around a bit before addressing a seething Harry. "Where are your friends, Potter? Did they finally wise up and dump you before you had a chance to get them killed, too?" Harry plunged his hand into his pocket into his pocket and pulled out his wand, furious. He pointed it at Malfoy who simply smirked. "What's eating you, Potter? Did the mudblood die?"

Harry was about to hex Malfoy when a jet of purple light flew from the inside of the open compartment and hit Malfoy in the back of the head. Malfoy screamed as his head where the spell had hit him began sizzling and bubbling and his hair began to recede - or melt - into the back of his head.

"What are you doing to me!" He screamed as students all around them opened their compartment doors, having heard Malfoy's screams and stopped what they were doing, in order to watch what was going on.

"Nothing that you don't deserve, calling people who are more decent than you are filthy names." Replied Aurelia, appearing in the doorway, twirling her wand around her fingers with a scowl on her face. All four boys turned to stare at her. "But you don't have to vorry. It's not permanent - if you know the counter-hex. Vich I don't suppose that you do. Now, if you are qvite finished hounding somvon right in front of _my _compartment I vill say goodbye." And with that, she disappeared back inside the compartment and slammed the door shut again.

As suddenly as it had started, the bubbling and blistering of Malfoy's head stopped. In it's place was a patch of smooth, bare skin. Harry could not help but smirk as the boy reached tentatively up to touch it. But, before he could get his manicured fingers on it, something popped out of the middle of it, making Harry, Crabbe, and Goyle give small cries of surprise.

The thing, still attached to the back of Malfoy's head _opened._ Malfoy gave another yelp - this time of surprise - and Harry saw that the _thing_ was actually an eye. It was identical to the two that stared wildly at the compartment door. Malfoy touched the eye, seemingly tentatively, and made a small sound of pain. Harry smirked - the boy had just poked it with his nervous, shaking fingers.

"What are you laughing at, Potter?" The blonde boy sneered, still facing the door. The eye at the back of his head narrowed in anger. Harry blanched for a moment in surprise and a bit of horror at the grotesqueness of it, but then could stop himself from laughing at it's absurdity. He cocked his head a bit and the eye followed his face. He then waved and snorted as Malfoy's new third eye widened and narrowed even smaller than before.

"Wow, I wonder how that works, Malfoy. Seeing both in front of you and behind you is bound to be confusing isn't it? I wonder, can you walk straight?" Malfoy swung around to actually face Harry and swayed dizzily a bit.

"Of course I can, Potter." He snarled, seething and scowling. "Come on Crabbe, Goyle. Let's go find a compartment." The boy went to move forward past Harry, but only succeeded in taking a step back and smacking into the compartment door. Behind which Harry knew that Aurelia must surely be gloating.

Malfoy's cheeks reddened a bit in embarrassment before his face screwed up in concentration. He tried to take another step forward but again only succeeded in bumping against the door.

"What's going on here?" Came a familiar voice. Harry turned around to see Hermione and Ron coming up the train corridor, pulling their trunks behind them.

"Aurelia just hexed Malfoy for insulting you." Harry replied.

"Really?" Ron asked, surprised. "What with?"

"No idea. But he's got another eye." Ron looked puzzled and, funnily enough, so did Hermione.

"If you two have stopped gawking, you could _help_ me!" Malfoy yelled at his two cronies who had been staring at him and doing nothing. At his words, they started and took his arms, leading him, his face pinched with concentration, down the crowded corridor, pushing past the trio roughly.

Ron caught sight of the back of Malfoy's head and began to roar with laughter. His laughter doubled when the eye narrowed at him in anger. He clutched his sides painfully and tried to speak, found that he couldn't, and gave up pitifully. Harry chuckled and found that Hermione was trying to suppress a grin of laughter as well.

"If you are qvite finished," Came a heavily accented voice from the compartment doorway. The three had been so caught up that they had not noticed that the door had been slid open and Aurelia now stood there with a rather annoyed look on her face. "I do have a lot of things that I must do and they take a lot of concentration. This - racket," Her cold eyes landed on Ron who was still clutching his sides. "Is making it very hard for me to do that. So, if you don't mind, please stop before I have to hex you as vell." This shut Ron up quickly and he straightened, but there was still a smile on his freckled face.

"Well," Harry said, trying to be a bit nicer to her now that she had shown that she would not tolerate Draco Malfoy. He did not know why that suddenly made him want to trust her. But it must have had something to do with the fact that - somehow - she faintly reminded Harry of his long-time enemy. "If you invited us in, we wouldn't make such a 'racket' out here, now would we?"

"No." She replied. "You vould just talk about - everything that you people talk about the entire time and I vould never be able to get anything done. There vould be no respite. This compartment is mine - and only mine. Have fun trying to find another von this late in the game." The door shut on them again and the three looked at each other for a few moments before looking around themselves at the other compartments - all of which, that they could see, were closed, which meant that they were occupied.

Harry sighed and tried Aurelia's compartment door, found it locked and pointed his wand at it. "Alohamora." He said, and heard the click of it unlocking. He began to pull it open when it slammed shut again and locked in a flash of gold light. Hermione sighed and pushed Harry away gently.

"Aurelia." She said. "Will you please let us in? Everywhere else is full and there's nowhere else to go. We won't bother you, we promise." There was a sigh heard from inside and, after a few moments. movement. Then, there was another flash of gold light and the door was slid open to reveal Aurelia, still looking a bit annoyed.

"All right." She said, stepping aside in order to let them enter. "But, if you destroy my concentration then I _vill_ do vatever I can to get you _out_." Then, she went back to her seat and picked up the old book and her pad of paper, which was half full of scribbles. The trio followed after her and, after stowing their trunks, sat down. Hermione next to Aurelia and Harry across from her.

Ron sat across from Hermione, who pulled her Defense Against the Dark Arts book out and opened it, beginning to read. Harry and Ron sat silently for a few minutes, not wanting to disturb the easily annoyed Transylvanian, but Ron soon became bored. Harry, on the other hand, was busy thinking.

His eyes were fixed on what he could see of Aurelia's torso (she seemed to take no notice.), and his mind kept replaying Draco's hands on her. It disturbed him for reasons he did not know. It made him want to hex Malfoy into oblivion. But, once Ron pulled out his wizard's chess board, Harry pulled his mind, and his eyes, away from Aurelia.

The two boys whispered their directions to their pieces and other than that, the room was silent save for the scratching of a quill on parchment and the soft turning of pages.


	8. At Each Other's Throats

Chapter Eight: At Each Other's Throats

Chapter Eight: At Each Other's Throats

While the first half of the train ride to Hogwarts had been silent, civil, and maybe even pleasant, the second half was worse than the exact opposite.

True to form, Ron became very bored with the silence of the compartment. He and Harry had stopped playing chess about half an hour before, after Ron had beaten him in all six games that they had played. Afterwards, Harry had pulled out his new Defense Against the Dark Arts book to study, but Ron simply sat there, drumming his fingers on the seat between himself and Harry. He had only stoped this when he recieved a raised-eyebrow look from Aurelia. Murmuring a soft and hasty apology, he had shifted position. Not fifteen seconds later, however, he shifted again. Then again and again until finally Aurelia slammed her book closed and glared at him.

"Sorry." He stated hastilly. "I just can't stand silence."

"That vas obvious." Aurelia said quietly. "But I do believe that I distintly remember telling you that the only vay that you vould be allowed to stay in this compartment vould be if you vere quiet. If you can't do that, then I suggest that you find a different compartment before I start to get angry." Ron was saved from answering to that in any form, however, by the compartment's door sliding open to reveal the food trolley witch.

"Well, hello dears. Something off the trolley for you?"

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, getting to his feet and fishing in his pockets. Aurelia simply sighed and placed the ancient book beside her on the seat between herself and Hermione. Harry also put his book away, joining Ron at the trolley whilst Hermione pounced on Aurelia, asking about the book.

"I thought that you said that you needed to finish that yesterday?" She asked, setting her own book down beside her.

"That is ven I vanted to be done, but it turned out to be a little bit more difficult that I had at first anticipated. And so it is taking a little longer than I had vanted it to."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hope that it gets easier for you soon." Hermione said companionably. Aurelia looked a bit startled at this, and for a moment, could only stare at Hermione in amazement. Then, she smiled slightly and turned to look out the window. The boys paid the trolley witch for their food and sat back down. Ron deftly passed Hermione a Chocolate Frog as the compartment door closed. The four stayed quiet for a few moments before Aurelia spoke, startling the trio.

"You may talk if you like now, Veasley. I needed a break anyvay." Ron simply stared at her for another moment, looking as if he had no intention of moving or speaking any time soon. Hermione, however, passed him the card from her Chocolate Frog.

"I wonder who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts proffessor will be." She said as Ron shook himself and bit off his own Frog's head.

"His name is Dimitri Dirvandishlov. His mother vas a Russian Defense Against the Dark Arts proffessor and his father vas a Romanian Auror."

Hermione watched Aurelia's still figure for a moment before asking, "How do you know all of that?"

"Before I came here, it vas von of my jobs to to check both his and his parent's backgrounds before Professor Dumbledore vas allowed to hire him. He has von of the most pristine backgrounds in the defense of the Dark Arts and Creatures that I have ever seen. Though, he did not have as many vampire killings as I vould have expected, or liked." Her brow looked a bit troubled as she stated this, but she quickly smoothed it over with her usual look of cool detatchment. "Anyvay, he vill be a good teacher to you."

"Aren't you going to be taking the class with us, Aurelia?"

"Yes, I vill, but I vill only be there so that I can - " She stopped and became silent suddenly, still staring out of the window at the sweeping countryside.

"What are you really there for?" Ron asked, his mouth still full of another Chocolate Frog. Aurelia did not answer, but she did not really have to. Harry knew.

Dumbledore had brought her to the school so that he would have constant protecton of and supervision over Harry. She would be in all of his classes so that she could report back to Dumbledore about his every movement. Just like she had with their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, she was going to make sure that he was doing everything that he was told and that he wasn't plotting on getting any Order information that was not expressly given to him and that he wasn't going to go off on any more 'adventures' by himself.

Harry had never felt so violated in all his life. She had probably done all the research on he and his parents that she could get her crafty (albeit very elegant) hands on. He was her new job, her new project, and she didn't even have the human decency to tell him that he was.

"She's there to 'protect' me and be sure that I'm doing everything that Dumbledore tells me to do." He spat towards her, yet addressing Ron and Hermione. Aurelia didn't even glance at him. "She's Dumbledore's little lapdog. His spy that's going to make sure that I'm in my place, aren't you?" Still, she didn't look at him. "I know that _you_ don't have a very high opinion of me, but I _can_ take care of myself. No one else was there when I faced Voldemort right after he came back. I got away from him _by myself_!"

Harry's voice was so loud, the window pane in the compartment door was rattling and he knew that he was being unreasonable, but he didn't care. He was tired of being treated like a little boy who didn't know how to use his wand. He was tired of everyone treating him as if he were so fragile that he would break if he was looked at too hard. He was tired of being afraid and he was tired of people being afraid for him.

"If you're just going to be there to protect me, let me tell you something, Ludvaros, I don't need your help or your so-called 'protection'. I've gotten along just fine before you ever came to England, and I'll get along fine after you're gone. And by Merlin, I hope that it's sooner rather than later. I never asked for your help. I never asked for your protection. I don't want it and I don't need it. So you can just-"

"Who ever said that I vas only protecting _you_, Potter?" Harry stopped and was as still as stone. Aurelia's voice was so quiet and she was still staring out the window, but Harry heard the anger in her voice, just as he saw it in her profile. She had sounded so furious, and even sounded downright scary. The whole compartment was still and silent as the trio stared at the beautiful girl. Not even Ron moved a single muscle.

"How dare you think that you are the only person in the entire school who matters, Potter? You are not the sole student who goes there for protection from Voldemort. You are not even the sole person who vent the the Ministry of Magic last year. And neither are your two friends here." Aurelia turned her head towards Harry finally and had his muscles not been so taught from shock, he was would have recoiled in fear at the look in her eyes. She looked at him with such loathing and anger that for a moment, he almost believed that she had mistaken him for Malfoy.

"I know that you believe that you can take care of yourself, but you are not the only child that Voldemort vants dead. And you are not as strong as you think that you are, Potter. Not yet, at least. You still have much to learn before it is safe enough for you, and for anyvon who vill be vith you ven the time comes, to be able to come out of it alive and to bring them _all_ vith you." Harry stiffened further at these words and fought the urge to bite his cheek savagely.

"So, yes, I vill be keeping my eye on you, Potter, because if I don't, you may end up getting somevon else killed by rushing into things that you have no business rushing into. But make no mistake, you are by no means my number von priority, you are not even my number ten priority, so if you can just step down from your high horse, and look beyond your own bulbous nose, you may find out vat you all seem so eager to know about vy I am here. Until then, te-te de viaţă, de prost." And then she simply smirked at him, picked up her book, stood, and strode out of the room. Harry was only a moment behind her, but when he made it out of the compartment door, she had already disappeared.

"What in bloody hell does that mean?" Harry raged to a empty hallway. Then he waited a moment before returning to the compartment and slamming the door behind him and throwing himself into his seat. Ron still had a mouthful of chocolate frog, which he quickly began chewing ferociously. Hermione simply stared at Harry. "What?" Harry growled at her after a moment.

"You shouldn't have done that, Harry." She said, her voice very quiet. "We were finally starting to get along." Harry grunted.

"I'll never get along with that monster.' He said.

"She's only doing what she's been told to do, it isn't her fault."

"It may not be her fault, but she sure as hell is revelling in it. You heard her, Hermione, she doesn't think I'm capable of protecting anybody at all, including myself!"

"She never said that. And besides, she isn't just here because of you. You heard her, too, she's here to help protect everybody, and probably to keep tabs on not just those she has to be protective _of_ but more than likely to watch the ones she has to protect _against _as well."

"Oh like who?" Harry scoffed.

"Like Malfoy." Hermione stated. "And Crabbe and Goyle and Zabini and Nott and Pansy and Millicent, and all of the other Slytherins who will be all too happy to join up with You Know Who if they haven't over the summer already. And she all but told you directly that what you do is no more than a mere afterthought compared to everything else she needs to do. What you seem to keep forgetting is that she is, for all intents and purposes, an Auror. Everyone else but you and Ron think of her as one, and that's why she's already been initiated into the Order."

"What!" Ron yelled.

"Yes, this morning, in fact. If you two would've gotten out of bed sooner, you would have been there for the ceremony. All the Ludvaros's were inducted, including Aurelia. But you can't tell anyone about it, it's a really big secret, especially about Aurelia. she's already going to be a target for the Slytherins, and she doesn't need to be a bigger one. Now, I suggest that when you see her again, you apologize."

"No." Harry said. "I don't care if she is only doing what she was told, I'm not going to make nice with someone that vile just because she's part of the order."

"But she's one of the good guys, Harry! can't you see that?"

"The world isn't divided into only good people and bad people, Hermione. There are exceptions to both of them. I see Aurelia as one of those exceptions. I'm sure that she and Snape will get along extremely well." Harry got up and removed his robes from his trunk. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and change."

He walked out and was shutting the compartment door when he faintly heard Ron mutter, "Slytherin, definately." And thankfully the door clicked shut as Hermione started yelling at him.


	9. Unexpected

_**Chapter Nine: Unexpected**_

When Harry returned to the compartment, he found Ron alone and already in his school robes. When he shut the door behind him, the redhead looked up with angry eyes. "Hermione went off to find the Transylvanian. Something or other about if we weren't going to be civil then she wasn't going to stick around and blah, blah, blah..." And then he went back to glaring at Hermione's vacated seat. Harry just shook his head and sat down, leaving Ron with his angry silence. He looked out the window and could just see the faint lights of Hogsmeade in the distance.

He had decided that he wasn't going to worry about Aurelia Ludvaros until he saw her again (and hopefully that would not be for a very long time), and to concentrate on the wonderful feeling of being home again. He watched for the next half hour as the lights grew colser and closer, and then when the train began to slow, he and Ron left the comparrtment to join the crowded hallway ready to exit the train. When the two stepped off, they could hear Hagrid's familiar voice calling to the frightened first years. "Firs' years over 'ear! Firs' years wi' me! Ah, 'Ermione, how was yer summer? Where're 'Arry and Ron, and who've ye got wi' ya now? I see, I was told t' expect you Miss Ludvaros, yer t' come with me, too. You go on ahead, 'Ermione, I'll take good care of 'er."

Then, looking cautiously at each other, Harry and Ron skirted around the far edge of the crowd to avoid the Transylvanian. Harry felt a slight pang of guilt that he wasn't going to be able to greet Hagrid until later in the year, but he wasn't keen on the idea of seeing Aurelia again so soon. The two made it to the thestral-drawn carriages with no problems and managed to snag an empty one. They were there only a moment, however, when a small group of third years joined them, sitting opposite.

"Who d'you suppose that girl was with Hermione Granger?" One of the boys, a Scot, asked his companions.

"No idea." Said one of the girls. "She was very pretty wasn't she?" Ron scoffed softly, but the group didn't seem to notice.

"I couldn't really see her face." The other boy commented. "I mean, who actually wears the hat's besides first years, anyway? Although, I will have to admit that it looked very fetching on those curls." The group continued to prattle on about who Aurelia was and why she had been with Hermione, and Harry soon got very annoyed with them. The point of staying away from the girl was to not have to think about her, and this conversation was _not _exactly condusive. Then again, at least the topic had kept the third years from noticing just who, exactly, they were sharing the carriage with, so he was not getting his customary stares, which was, he admitted, a nice reprieve.

When the carriage finally stopped, Harry and Ron very nearly lept from it in their haste to get away from the chatty group, and entered the castle along with the throngs of other students. Upon entering the Great Hall, the two sat down across from Hermione, who was looking both angry with the two of them, and very nervous - probably about Aurelia Ludvaros.

"Calm down, Hermione." Harry whispered to her, but she did not turn to look at him, in fact she pointedly looked anywhere _but_ at him. "If she's as good an Auror as the papers all say she is, then she can probably take care fo herself."

Hermione stabbed at him with her eyes. "Be quiet, Harry!" SHe whispered ferociously. "No one is supposed to know that, so don't you go blabbing it around and ruining everything!" And then she turned her head away from him again. Harry sighed and sat back, waiting for the Sorting to begin, and wishing fervently that a) Aurelia was _not_ placed in Slytherin (because even if that _was_ where she would normally deserve to be, he didn't really wish her dead) and b) that she was _not_ placed in Gryffindor. Ravenclaw would be nice. She was probably clever enough for Ravendlaw, knowing all those languages and everything. Hufflepuff, too, but that one didn't seem very probable, as she wasn't personable enough to be placed in the most likeable house. Plus, she was far too abraisive for the house of tolerant, fair-play beilieving people. Thinking this, Harry repeated 'Ravenclaw' over and over and over in his head.

A short while later, the large doors opened, and in walked Prfessor McGonagall, carrying the Sorting Hat and it's stool, and trailed by a long line of nervous-looking first years. At the end of the line, several steps behind the first year in front of her, walked Aurelia. Harry had to admit that she _did_ indeed look rather fetching. The unifrom looked very nice on her, and the hat did look nice on her sinuous curls, which she had let down more than likely for just that reason.

The entire hall erupted into whispered conversaitions when the students saw her. All probably asking the same questions that Harry and Ron had listened to in the carriage. When the line halted in front of the steps leading to the Faculty table, Professor McGonagall place the stool and the Sorting Hat in their customary places and withdrew a scroll from her sleeve. Then, the hall grew still as the hat shook itself slightly and then opened, beginning it's song:

Another year is about to start

A year full of surprises

But first of all I must impart

Facts of the Houses guises

First, or Gryffindor, the brave and true

Lions in their right

Full of daring, nerve and chivalry

And all are ready for a fight

Then Ravenclaw, with wit and talent

With great treasures in their brains

But not a lot of common sense

When nothing else remains

And Hufflepuff, those loyal creatures

Who have tolerance and fair play

Are thought by many to be losers

Who could never have their way

Finally, Slytherin, who all want fame

And are willing to do anything

With cunning and resourcefulness

None are ready to take wing

So here you are, with Houses four

Which one would you pick?

I'll let you do the choosing now

For this poor hat is sick

Tired of lions and tired of snakes

Tired of eagles and badgers

If you happen to find one that takes

I hope that one discovers

That four apart are not as strong

As they are altogether

And apart you'll be if I'm not wrong

If there is more bad weather

Now put me down upon your heads

And tell me where you'd like to go

And if I can, I'll send you there

And maybe then you'll grow

At the end of the Sorting Hat's song, the hall was still utterly silent, but now the silence was different. For everyone was trying to understand what the hat meant this year. That the hat had basically insulted the four houses was quite obvious, as was the hint at unity. But what none of the students could figure out was _why_. Why had it said those things, and why was it not going to choose _for_ anyone this year? Harry looked to Hermione and saw, to his amazement, that she looked almost as stumped as everyone else. He then looked up at the faculty table, and as he did so, his eyes glanced on Aurelia, who simply looked amused.

Professor McGonagall, who looked slightly scandalized, cleared her throat and unrolled the scroll. "Augusta-Stephens, Kay" The little girl cautiously approached the hat, and sat down when Professor McGonagall guestured for her to. She was promply delivered to Hufflepuff only a moment after the hat touched her head.

Then followed "Bridges, Giovanni", Ravenclaw, "Burke, Carson" , another Hufflepuff, "Cantu, Gayle", the first Gryffindor, "Cleveland, Dionne" and "Conley, Regina", both Ravenclaws.

Then "Duran, Lori" became the first Slytherin, followed by "Gomez, Harry", still another Ravenclaw, then "Goodman, Nell", Hufflepuff, and "Lamb, Nora" became a second Slytherin, followed by the second Gryffindor "Mayer, Jaqueline".

Then came two more for Gryffindor, twin brothers Jarod and Jerry McIntosh, and another Hufflepuff, "Mueller, Fran" while her twin brother Leonard became still another Gryffindor.

Then came two more Slytherins in "Peck, Catherine" and "Pugh, Hayward", and then "Rasmussen, Agustin" became another Ravenclaw, then Slytherin "Richardson, Hollis", Ravenclaw "Vaugn, autumn", and finally "Winters, Percy" became a Hufflepuff.

Now it was Aurelia's turn. Again, the hall errupted in whispers when Professor McGonagall announced her name. Much like it had when Harry had been sorted. Everyone knew of the Ludvaros couple, but no one had probably realized that they had a daughter, espeically not one that was coming here. Aurelia yawned widely as she climbed the stairs to take a seat on the stool, and Harry saw Professor McGonagall exchange a worried look with Dumbledore before replacing Aurelia's gleaming pointed hat with the tattered one. And then the hall waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Harry watched Aurelia's motionless form avidly, still praying for Ravenclaw, and dreading, along with Hermione, that it might be Slytherin. After all, Slytherin had gotten the least ammount of first years this year. The hat waited so long, that the students began to get restless, shifting in their seats and clearing their throats, some even beginning to whisper avidly.

"She's taking even longer than you did, Harry." Hermione whispered, her voice quivering. Harry nodded, his attention entirely on the girl sitting on the stool.

Finally, the hat opened it's mouth and shouted, very loudly, "Gryiffindor!"

Harry's jaw dropped, and he and Ron did not stand with the rest of their house to greet their newest member. He could hear Ron cursing viciously next to him, but he could only watch dumbly as Aurelia stood and took her hat back from a relieved-looking Professor McGonagall, setting it neatly back atop her perfect curls before descending the stairs to the roaring table with an air of bored satisfaction. And, although Hermione gestured for the girl to sit next to her, she merely took the empty seat at the end of the table and faced Dumbledore. Hermione, looking a bit hurt, sat back down with a sigh and only glanced at Harry and Ron before she, too, faced Dumbledore.

Harry could not believe his bad luck. How could the Sorting Hat _do_ this to him? Aurelia Ludvaros was not Gryffindor material. She was Draco Malfoy in a female form for Merlin's sake! Just because she was technically on Harry's side didn't make her any better than Ferret-boy. Harry had understood why she couldn't go to Slytherin, had understood it even more on the train this afternoon when Draco had threatened her, but that didn't mean that she had to come to Harry's house. It didn't mean that she should be given full leave to watch his every movement. It didn't mean that he wasn't allowed t ofind _some_ type of santuary from that infuriating vampire hunter.

Harry glared at Aurelia's shining hat, hoping that it would burst into flames, not even looking up when Dumbledore stood and simply told the hall to "Tuck in", as was his usual custom, and food appeared immediately. Harry's appetite, however had vanished along with his somewhat-good mood, and he continued to glare at Aurelia even though she took no notice of him. He watched as she selected her food carefully and then as she ate it. He did not even realize how long he had been glaring at her when then entree dishes vanished in favor of the deserts, he then faced forward again, still with a scowl on his face to match Ron's. Hermione was still pointedly ignoring the both of them, which was probably why she hadn't reprimanded Harry for glaring at Aurelia.

Ron was tearing into a pastry with a fury. "Why in the bloody hell did it have to be Gryffindor?" He ranted, sounding as if this had not been the first time he had said it. "Why couldn't she have just gone to Slytherin and we'd have been done with her. Nothing else to worry about. But then, of course, I'd have to accept the fact the Malfoy would have actually done something useful." Harry tried his hardest to agree with Ron, he really did. But he just couldn't. Aurelia Ludvaros might someday prove to be a valuable ally, and Harry knew he could never seriously want her death. Humilation, yes. Pain, maybe. But never death. So he merely nodded to Ron, who more than likely didn't notice him anyway, and ate a bit of something without looking at it.

Soon after, the desserts disappeared, leaving the golden plates and goblets pristine again, and the Hall turned their full attentions on Dumbledore as he stood and moved to his podium for his start-of-term speech. "Welcome to another exciting year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardy." He began. "I have quite a few things to say to you this year, and I will try to do so before everyone collapses from good food and sleep deprevity. First of all, I would like to welcome a new professor to our ranks. Taking over Defense Against The Dark Arts lessons for Professor Umbrage will be Professor Dimitri Dirvandishlov. I'm sure that you will all treat him with the same, if not more, respect than you showed his predecessor." Professor Dirvandishlov stood and bowed slightly to the students before sitting back down and staring at the table in front of him.

Dumbledore continued. "Second, I would like reiterate that the Forbidden Forest is, just as it sounds, completely forbidden. And this year, there will be absolutely _no_ exceptions. Also, due to circumstances in the wizarding world now, I have decided that a few stricter rules should be enforced this year. Curfews have now been moved forward an hour, and anyone caught out in the halls, and especially the grounds will face severe reprimands. Especially since all entrances to Hogwarts will be sealed an hour after your new curfews begin." Dumbledore's voice was no longer congenial as he said this, and his eyes silenced the protests as soon as they began.

Then, his eyes shone again with their usual light, and a smile was back on his face. "Third," He said. "As we have a guest under our roof from a foreign land, I have decided to welcome her properly throughout this year with celebrations to which she is accustomed. So, be sure to note that there will be both a Halloween Masquerade ball and a Christmas ball before you all leave on your holiday break. Also, for a bit more fun in order to help keep our spirits up in these trying times, I have decided to hold a Valentine's Ball in February and an end-of-the-year send off ball for the sixth and seventh years. Please also be sure to note that the Halloween Masque is costume and mask required and it is, unfortunately, for fifth years and up only. Similarly, the Christmas ball is fourth years and older, though if you should choose to invite a younger classman, then you are free to do so unlike the masque. The Valentine's ball is third years and up but - again - should you choose to take an underclassman, you are most welcome to do so. There will, of course, be Hogsmeade visits for those years and anyone else who is invited to go so that you may order costumes and formal robes. Now, with that wonderful news out of the way, I would like to entice you all to go on up to your comfortable beds so that you may rest up for you first day of classes tomorrow. Good night."

That last enticing news was met with several different levels of excitement. Squeels and giggles could be heard from many girls who immediately began eyeing potential dates, and groans from many of the boys who all ducked their heads down in defiance of those eager eyes. Harry sighed, though, glad that this time he would have the choice of whether he wanted to go or not. (And it would more than likely be not) He then got up along with Ron and the two made their way out of the Great Hall, leaving Hermione behind to wait for Aurelia.


End file.
